A Measure of Hope for Israel
Tribe
2023-09-18

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Just think about these words. Lord, we thank you so much. Reckless in the sense that it's not thought out, that you didn't have a plan, reckless like careless. It's not that kind of reckless. It's reckless in the definition that you gave yourself away before we even chose you.

That in our minds and here in this earth where we trade something because we know we're getting something in exchange. But Lord, you laid it all down. You hung all our sin on the cross. And then you made a proposal, will you be mine? You've done it all, Lord.

Just send a spirit of revelation here today that how much we desperately need you. That in our own strength, it's just it's just nothing. It's temporal, but lord, with you, it's eternal. So Lord, we come before you this morning. We just confess of our sins this morning.

Search our hearts. Let us not ever just come and just sing some words to a song and drink some coffee and glad ham and check off the box of church. But let us really come to meet with you, to fellowship together because there is a true risen king who we serve. So, we just tell you that this morning that we come before you. In great, great need again today.

Crucify our flesh and we just come before you. Have your way in us. Just think about those words, my one defense. We sing a love song to him, and then he just sings over us how he loves us, how he loves our I was just gonna say about this song. I used to not really care for this song because it felt kind of selfish.

Like, oh, he loves me. Just me. Oh, how he loves me. You know, I'm just stopping there. Just like, oh, I just need to I just need to hear you say you love me.

But then there's that Kim Walker live version of this song if you've heard it. And she just with so much passion says that if you really that if you really understood the father's love, she said you would you would walk different. You wouldn't believe the lie of the animal. It's foundational if you really grabbed a hold of how much god loves you. Like, if you really knew and could grasp the love of the father that when things come your way, they wouldn't affect you.

You'd serve him harder. You wouldn't need to always hear. Come on, baby girl. Which he loves to do. But if you just stood firm in his great great love, how different would we look as believers knowing who our father is, our Abba Daddy.

So let's remind ourselves this morning. He loves you. Say he loves me.

You are.

Oh, your word says to lift up lift up songs, spiritual songs to you. There's I think it says a 116 different times in your word. It says, to bring a new song to the Lord. And that's not to sit down with pen and paper and write out a bridge, a chorus. It's a song from our spirit to you because you are spirit, God.

So we just that's what we're doing in this place today. We're lining our spirit out and singing spiritual songs to you. When you get in that place of disconnection with him, my heart always just thinks, oh, how could I ever sing enough songs to tell you I love you? Lord, we just come before you this morning hungry Yesterday's manna. We come fresh today.

What would you have for us today? Maybe even how you spoke yesterday and we did a build on that lord. Grow our roots deeper today because we wanna care about what you care about. Shift our perspective if we've built our life on pillars of sand, things that have no eternal value. Reveal those to us, Lord.

Take those things apart and just build a foundation of what your word truly says. As we dig into your heart for Israel, that we've been on this journey, Lord. We just ask for revelation. We want your heart in all things because you are worthy. You're worthy of us spending this time digging into what is your heart.

Just be still in this place for just a moment, one more moment. Maybe the lord is putting a picture, a word, an encouragement, a scripture. Maybe he's reminding of a dream. That's for this moment this time. Lord, it's putting something on your heart.

We have a microphone because our livestream family wants to hear what the Lord is speaking to you. I think Connor has that back there. Just oh, cats can. Just slip your hand up and just give her a touch. Joy, you got something?

Was your worship and I just had this picture of a hospital room and a patient in the room who had a terminal illness but didn't know it but just wasn't feeling well. Things weren't working well in their body. There are lots of nurses around. There are some nutritionists, some mental health experts, and everybody was comforting this person, making sure they were well fed, making sure they felt good, making sure they felt comfortable. And I'm looking at the scene, and I feel like Holy Spirit said, I have many nurses.

I have many nutritionists. I have many mental health counselors, but I don't have many doctors that will come in and tell this patient there's something in them that's killing them. And that kind of love looks different because the love of the nurses is obvious. They're being loving. They're being encouraging.

But the love that that doctor put in was the eight years of focused, sacrificial, devouring of knowledge and and repetition and repetition and repetition and no social life, and there was a single obsession with getting to this place of authority and sobriety to actually come in love and address the thing that's killing these patient. And I feel like the lord is saying, I'm I'm calling forth doctors in this season. I'm calling you forth in a season of obsessive focus into the things of god's heart so that you could be qualified like scripture says, study to show yourself approved so that you could actually be qualified and endued with power from heaven to actually bring the diagnosis and the prognosis that will not only address the real issues will bring will bring solution and healing and power. And so I just wanna pray if you felt, man, I wanna be a person of that actually brings remedy and addresses the death that's in the soul of the unbeliever. Those that have not received the gift of righteousness are wicked in god's sight.

And so I pray in Jesus name, lord, that you would touch hearts in this room, you would touch hearts on the livestream, you would touch hearts in the body of Christ around the world. Lord, that we would move into a season of sobriety. You move into a season of even sacrificial living where I lose some of my social clout. I lose some of my my fun meter in my life so that I can actually pursue something of substance and purpose and power that will actually bring diagnosis and remedy to the hearts of those around me, Lord. We need a harvest.

We need to see a move of God again in our day, and I pray, Lord, that you would call forth doctors in the spirit, doctors of the gospel, doctors of intimacy with Jesus Christ. We pray in Jesus' name.

Yes.

I was just thinking as we were singing, Lord, how I need you, as a moment to check-in with all of you who have dabbled in fasting now that we're on day 10 of the twenty one days. Fasting gives us an opportunity when we're not eating food and to sing this song, and I would challenge you if you've already tried it and you're like, woah, that was a lot harder

than I thought it

was gonna be. That's the time when you're feeling that to sing this song, Lord, I need you. Because Richard Foster says that fasting fasting reveals the things that control us. And so in that time when you're feeling that hunger and you're feeling that pain, do you turn to God and get on your knees and say, Lord, I need you right now. I am so weak.

I am so uncomfortable. This is too hard. Or do you turn to the thing that brings you comfort? Do you find the other vice, or do you go ahead and compromise on on the fast? Because that's showing the thing, the desires of our hearts, and that's an opportunity to offer yourself as that living sacrifice and say, God, I need you.

I need you now more than ever before. You've you've gotten your physical body involved in that hunger and that desire for God and in sacrificing your flesh. Like Steve said last week, this picture up here, this battle for dominance is a picture of our flesh versus our spirit. And we feel that strong when we're fasting from food because our flesh is just rising up and saying, I just need a little bit of caffeine. I just need a little bite of this.

I just need a little bite of that. And my challenge to you is to go into that battle with your flesh and win. Tell your flesh, nope. You're not the boss. My spirit is the boss.

I'm putting that down. I'm looking to God as my source. I'm not looking to the food or the comfort or the the, you know, strength that I need right now to be in the food and the things around me. Or if you're doing and you're not watching TV or you're not getting on social media, instead of when you feel that discomfort going to something else Yeah. To distract you, battle your flesh and say, no.

No. No. No.

I'm a winner. You're not winning on this. You know, the first song we sang, we said, there's no mountain you won't climb up, no shadow you won't light up coming who one one is is is who who That's horrible. It's so hard. And Jesus is will do that for us.

And so when we feel that discomfort from fasting, pick up your cross and say, okay. You've

That's good. Can pass it. Anyone else? Mister Clay.

So, most of you know in here about a year and

a half year and

a half ago, I had cancer surgery and it creep back into my life and I just want to ask for prayer. I'm in a real good place with god and just feel like Satan's just wanting to attack and I just need prayer.

Joe, yeah, Joe and Sam, will you guys lay hands on Clay

and

Jeremy? How about some of these young guys back here? Agree in the spirit for what God's doing. Cat, will you give the mic over there so we can hear and pray? And as the Lord puts an unction on your heart to pray, just pray it in boldness.

And when in doubt, speak God's word in any situation. Is anyone else in here battling a physical battle that needs prayer right now? Any of those things, sickness, illness, disease, injury, maybe there's just some oh,

gonna

We thank you that we can gather like this. We do not take it lightly, but all around the world, there are believers who have to hide, who have to sneak to just have anything even close to this kind of fellowship where we can come to a bar and sing openly the name of Jesus. We just thank you, Lord. We thank you for all that you're doing, all that you will do. Keep our hearts hungry and keep our hearts and our spirits sober, Lord.

I do feel like what Steve said is a timely word. A timely word that we've gotten so comfortable and numbing that we're not acutely attuned to the voice of the Lord. So Lord, convict us today. Let us press in and change us. We tell you we love you in Jesus' name.

Everybody said Amen. Amen. We'll turn the air off because it's turned arctic in here. And as everyone's, like, wrapping themselves in their blankets. That's an accurate message.

And fill up your coffee and get out your bible and get ready for what the lord has for you today. What you need?

Good morning.

Good morning.

We're just we're just getting you ready for the temperatures ahead. Just think of this as conditioning. You'll be fine. And we did go back there and adjust it, and so it'll get better. Maybe there'll be a day when you're like, oh my gosh.

Remember when that was, like, our biggest, like, complaint was like, I was too warm or too cold in church. Oh, those days. You know, we are living in the good old days right now. Right? Do you realize that?

These are the good old days. Let it go. How's the fast going, everybody? Denying yourself or fasting? So if this is new for you, if you're like, wait.

Who we're well, what are we doing? So back in March and April, there is a ministry called IHOP in Kansas City, International House of Prayer, IHOP. How many of you are familiar with IHOP in Kansas City? Oh. Oh, that's great.

That's great. So the founder and leader of that that ministry, his name is Mike Bickel. He started out as a local church pastor. He comes from a college football background, and he was a boxer, you know, like like a rough guy. And God invited him to fasting and prayer in '20 four seven worship.

And the idea is that in the generation of the lord's return, that there will be an exponential increase of prayer and worship and intercession partnering with the lord in accomplishing his will as last the last and greatest events of human history unfold before the return of Jesus. God called Mike Bickel to this thirty years ago, and he was like, nope. That's that's ridiculous. And then God just wrecked his heart. He's like, well, here I am.

He has been leading prayer and worship for twenty four seven. So musicians on stage, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. IHOP, International House of Prayer, that has been going on in in Kansas City, uninterrupted for over thirty years. And if for all of you who raise your hand, you're like, oh, yeah. Yeah.

I get it. I get it. Well, back in March and April, the lord put on Mike Bickel's heart. I want you to take twenty one days and for one hour a day, I want you to commit yourself to praying for Israel, and they called it the Isaiah sixty two fast. How many of you, like, saw that or remember that, like, like, earlier in the spring?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That happened. I was told about it, you know, several I I was told about it months ago, you know, with, like, a nice long runway.

I ignored it. And then, like, as the start date was getting closer and other people were sending me information, I ignored it. And then, like, three days before, I don't know if it reached a critical mass in my heart, or maybe the the right person told me about it, I was like, okay. Fine. Let me what what is what is this?

So I I looked at it. I I read online, and I was like, this is so amazing. And Lisa and I committed to going through the twenty one days for Israel, and we, like, tried to, like, wrangle in our, like, families that we Shabbat with on Fridays, and, like, you gotta do this. And we're like, ah. So we kind of, like, stumbled and tumbled our way through the first twenty one days earlier this spring, and it was great and fulfilling and rewarding.

And in fact, the the prayer guide and little devotional that we sent out as a PDF for the twenty one days. We sent that out on text blast. That's the IHOP prayer guide. So if you're like, I have no idea what IHOP is, but I've been doing this journey of twenty one days for Israel. You've you've been using IHOP's prayer guide.

How many of you have that that PDF document that Lisa sent out and you're using it? It's great. It's simple. Now listen. Kai, would you put today's title slide up?

If you have not started on that journey with us, it's not too late, or if you don't know what I'm talking about about the the prayer guide, all you need to do is, I don't know, talk to somebody on staff, give them your phone number, and we'll text it to you. Okay? But it's really great. It's a really great prayer guide. After that season of twenty one days, I thought, man, this would be really great to take our church through.

Not as a good idea, but I feel like as a god idea. God invited us. I want you to lead your tribe fam through the same twenty one day journey of either fasting and or denying yourself to make room in your heart for Israel. And as Joy said and as she talked about several weeks ago, I really feel like the the the reality is for most of us that would call ourselves Christians, fasting is not a big part of our normal built in disciplines. And that's okay that it hasn't been, but Jesus said in the bible, when you fast.

Not like like, well, if it gets really bad and then you should fast, but like like Jesus spoke of fasting as if it would be a normal part of our Christian experience and walk when you fast. But I also understand that for many of you, fasting is new, and you're just dipping your little pinky toe into, like, the the kiddie pool of fasting, and I thought that's so great. And I thought, how cool would it be even though we didn't, as a tribe family, didn't do the fast back in the spring when the rest of, like like, millions of Christians around the world jumped in on this fast. I thought, well, our tribe family is going through it now here in the fall, and and I thought it'd be really cool if, like like like, Mike Bickel, would be kind of like a father or a grandfather to me in the faith, could, like, know what we're doing and, like like, give us a word of encouragement. And so I ended up having a conversation with him recently, and I wanna share his word of encouragement to you on this video.

Great word of encouragement from Mike. Today, if you are taking notes, why not at the top of your notes I guess you could do it at the bottom of your notes, but somewhere off to the side of your notes, let's write the title of this morning's conversation that we're gonna have. We're gonna talk about a measure of hope for Israel. That's the title of the conversation that we're gonna have this morning. A measure of hope for Israel.

One of the things that we like to do here at at tribe, as Lisa said earlier during worship, that that the only we don't want the only person making contributions to this collective gathering of people to only be the person up front here with the mic. But we really do want this to be a conversation. That's why we say the title of this morning's conversation. We welcome your questions, your comments, your connections, and there's a mic. You saw it during worship that roams around.

And so as we get into the text that we're gonna study today, we'll pass the mic around, and I'd like you to take turns reading the passage that we're gonna get into. It is Daniel chapter 11, and we're gonna read verse 28 through 36. Daniel chapter 11 verse 28 and through 36. Where that mic is, if you would start there, read a little bit, and then pass it on. We'll go verses 28 through 36.

Almost there. One sec.

You're good. While you're getting there, let me just share something really quickly with you. As we read this passage, I understand that a, this might be brand new to you, or b, it might be unfamiliar to you, or or a little bit cryptic or mystical or, like, what's going on? Or option c, I guess, is both a and b. Well, I want to, like like, broom you a little bit with a little reassuring positive touches like, it's alright.

Let it be weird. Let it be awkward. The more time you spend in these passages, the more reading you do about these passages, the more you pray over these passages and ask the holy spirit. Holy spirit, lord, you wrote this. You show me.

He's the author of the book. He is the but how can he light up your heart if we don't dig into him? So let's dig into this passage together. Daniel chapter 11, kick it off in verse 28.

The king of the North will then return home with great riches. On the way, he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey. Then at the appointed time, he will once again invade the South, but this time, the result will be different. For warships from Western Coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.

Quick pause. So we one of the the the main characters that this passage is dealing about is often referred to in the the third person that that he character. It does help you to know who that he character is. Who is the he character in this Daniel 11 passage? Who who who would you guess?

Daniel. This is the antichrist. Daniel saw a long way in the future, a picture of the antichrist. Now I will say that with all prophecy, it's kinda like remember in the movie Shrek where he talks about Shrek is talk he's describing the emotional condition of ogres, and he says, ogres have

Lairs.

You guys, you know more about Shrek than you do the book of Daniel? It's okay. It's okay. You've probably watched Shrek more than you've spent time in the book of Daniel. That's alright.

The tide is changing. That's okay. So in a similar way that ogres have layers, prophecies have layers. There can be a a an immediate, like like current times for the writer fulfillment, but we do not wanna read these passages to the neglect of considering the future and even clearest fulfillment of these passages. So with that in mind, that's probably the last pause that I'll call as we're reading Daniel chapter 11 verse 28.

But I just want you to know who the he is. That is the the the yet to arrive on the scene antichrist. Daniel is talking about him. Let's continue reading.

His forces will rise up. Sorry, guys. My thumb scrolled. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress. It shall take away the regular bird offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

He shall reduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their god shall stand firm and take action.

Pay attention as we get to verse 34. Continue.

And the wise among the people shall make many receive a little help, and many shall join themselves to them with flattery.

And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come. The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the god of gods. Oops. Still going.

He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place.

I wish that we could take the time this morning to check-in with each and every one of you to to gauge or put my finger on the pulse of your understanding of what we just read. Like, on I'm not gonna do this, but, you know, I love, like, scale of one to 10 questions. And I'd I'd like to ask not going to, but I'd like to ask on a scale of one to ten, ten being like, yep. Got it. I feel like I fully understand who the characters are, what's going on, what it plays out, and the implications of that on a global stage and on a personal stage in my heart.

One being like, wait. That was in the bible. Regardless of where you are on that continuum, the more time you spend in the prophetic teaching of god's word, that's why they're here in the bible, not just the first five books and then jump to the New Testament, but the major and the minor prophets have so much to teach us, so much that we can learn about ourselves, about God, and about positioning of world events in days to come. I wanna encourage you. Just wade right in there to Daniel.

And if you make a mess and start interpreting things wrong and, like, like, just get, like, way off into the weeds on really messing up Isaiah and Daniel and Hosea and these various prophets, and then you start writing books about it, and your books get, like, published, and and then you get fame and notoriety, but you're off in the weeds. Don't worry. The larger body of Christ will just bring you right back in. I think Allah like like, Rob Bell. Rob Bell got like, nobody even knows his name anymore because he got too far off in the weeds, and the global Christian community was like, too far Rob Bell.

And so anyways so like, I think a lot of people have hesitancy or maybe even trepidation or fear about wading into these texts because they say, don't wanna I don't wanna misunderstand it. Therefore, they avoid it all completely. I say, get in there. Get your hands dirty. Have hard questions.

It's okay to initially come to wrong conclusions. That's okay. Because, like, like, how imagine learning an instrument and and having this fear. I never wanna play a bad note, and so you never touch, like, an instrument. Go there.

The holy spirit be like, and he'll nudge you and bump you around. Get around people who are familiar with those one day for Israel journey. I know that that many of you, there's lots of, like, reasons in your heart for for doing this journey, but I wanna share with you from the text one key and very important reason why we are, as a tribe family, and all of our livestream families that watch, why we are going on this journey together, and it's found in this passage. But before we get back to verse 34, we need to backtrack just a little bit, and I want to lay two foundation stone passages in your heart so that you can write these down and and and build them into your lives as you look at Daniel chapter 11. So the next place I would like us to turn is to the book of Zechariah.

Zechariah chapter 13, and there's one verse here, chapter nine excuse me, chapter 13 verse nine. I wanna read this verse to you. You can write it down if you have fast flippity fingers, you can turn there. But it says this in Zechariah chapter 13 verse nine, I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.

They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say, these are my people and they will say, the lord is our god. Now this is a great passage that we can apply to our lives today for us. If this verse speaks personally to you, great, wonderful, awesome, that's valid. And this verse is a is a passage, and you can you can read backwards.

Well, I mean, I wouldn't read backwards. That's kinda tricky. But you can jump backwards and then read forwards to kinda understand, like, the context of what God is saying in this passage. But he's speaking to Israel in a time of great tribulation that they will undergo that will that many of them will either fall away and or lose their lives. And then we get to this passage in verse nine where God is speaking through the prophet Zechariah, and he says, I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, and I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.

There's a big difference between the wrath of god the judgment of god, and the chastisement of god. And many confuse the chastisement discipline that brings correction and just all out. That's it. I've had it up to here punitive actions. Many in the body of Christ and around the world do not understand that difference.

This passage is saying that in the midst of fire that a nation of people will go through, god says, I will use that fire to purify and to refine. And I wish that we had time to go around and hear the stories of each of you of each one of your lives. You cannot walk with the Lord for long before he purifies you using fire. Now if we were to use this this this metaphor of fire in our modern context, we need to understand that god is not the author nor does he cause bad things to happen. I'm going to inflict you with fill in the blank so that I can use that to purify you.

That is not how he works at all nor how he had worked. But in his foreknowledge and in his wisdom, he sees things and says, oh, in my sovereignty because he's the boss of the universe. I will allow these circumstances that were meant for harm and for evil, but I'll use them to refine and pull out this beautiful gold out of people and out of the nation of Israel. So there is this coming fire for the nation of Israel. And I want you to take this verse and let's pair it with the next verse.

Jeremiah chapter 30 verse seven. So these two, we can we can create a hyperlink in our brain between these two passages. What is this this fire? Jeremiah chapter 30 verse seven. In all of history, there has never been such a time of terror.

It will be a time of trouble for my people, Israel, and I put in brackets there Jacob, yet in the end, they will be saved. New Testament, for those of us, all of us are are all of us who are Christians here in this room, we have we have the Old Testament and the and the New Testament. Jews have only the Old Testament, but both Jews and Gentiles, Jews and Christians, according to their own texts, which we have the old and the new, they just have the old for now, talk about and it's in their their collective consciousness, A future unfolding time of great tribulation that we as Christians would know and call and the Bible describes as tribulation. But in the Old Testament, Jews today, you can ask them, hey. Is there gonna be another time of fire, another great sifting?

This they'll say, oh, yeah. Yeah. And it's known as a time of Jacob's trouble. I don't know how familiar you are from your history books that's only 70 years old, But the the holocaust in in Europe, and we think of that as as history's greatest atrocities. There have been other atrocities where more life lost, but never a great purging of people solely based on their race and religion, like the persecution that we've seen in the Holocaust with the Jews, but throughout history.

And we have that in our minds, and we think of that as the pinnacle and the greatest example of egregious widespread systematic murder of a group of people. We think of that. Like, that's that's that's it. That's the top. The Bible tells us that there will be yet another persecution of Israel that will eclipse anything that we have ever seen.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 24, it is it is for us, but he's speaking to Jews and to Israel. Said that you will be hated all over where? The earth, the world. We saw 6,000,000 Jews systematically murdered as they stood on the lip of machine gun pits or were gassed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz Birkenau, and all of the the concentration death camps. And that was just in Europe.

Jesus says there's coming a day what we read here in this passage of Jacob's trouble that connects with Jesus' words in Matthew 24, where it says it will spread around the globe. Why would God do this? I wrote this quote down in my notes that god will use as unbelievable as what we've seen in our history books could unfold. There's this quote that somebody said. God will use the least severe means to bring the greatest number of people into the deepest level of intimacy possible.

God will use the least severe means to bring the maximum amount of people into the deepest level of intimacy possible. During this time of intense persecution of Israel, the verse that we read earlier in Daniel chapter 11 comes into play. So let's go back to that verse now with those two foundation stones of of what's known as Jacob's trouble and in the intense fires of persecution that will, right now, today, are beginning to have the heat turned up on them. This verse comes back into play. Daniel chapter 11, look at, verse 32 through 35.

He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their god will be strong and resist him. When the when the flood of the tide of the world is in agreement with this single global political figure who has brought about unprecedented peace, he might solve global warming. He might end the fossil fuel crisis. He might actually broker peace in The Middle East in a in a mutually agreed upon two state solution. The greatest political figure in the history of the world and ever I mean, just imagine the accolades and the prizes and the awards that he'll be winning and the book deals.

And Oprah will be like, this guy is amazing and be showered with chocolates and candies and little creams and lotions. I don't know. But he will have such dominant political influence. It says that he will he will have he will win over many people, and he will flatter them and win them over. But the people who know their god, they'll be onto it.

They'll be onto it. I don't know. I don't know about that guy. What? Are you kidding me?

He's done this. He's done this. He's done who else has been able to accomplish such great things in in a remarkably short period of time? Oh my gosh. Are you one of those fundamental conspiracy theorists like, oh my gosh.

Narrow minded, bigoted, please. But the people who know their god will resist him. Verse 33, wise leaders will give instructions to many. And what will the reward of those wise people giving instructions to many? What will their reward be?

What was John the Baptist reward? Who Jesus said he is a bright, inflaming torch. Among all of the prophets, there's been none like him. Wow. And what was John the Baptist's reward?

Everybody, go like that. Verse 34. During these persecutions, the time of Jacob's trouble, little help will arrive, and many will join him who are not sincere. Let's carve away some of these other I think I have, Kai, do I have that single verse to focus on that? Let's carve away the the last part for right now.

We're not gonna delete it, eliminate it. We're just gonna set it aside for right now. We're gonna set aside, and many who join them will not be sincere. That's another conversation for another time. During these persecutions, a coming future yet to be fulfilled pogrom, persecution of Israel.

Daniel prophesies that during that time, a measure of help will arrive to stand with Israel. Who and what? So a little I understand that maybe if you've read that verse in the past or or even right now, the structure of the grammar might feel conducive to to have that statement have or or fruitless. Like, well, we needed a lot of help, and all we got was a little. I understand that grammar might lend itself for you to think that way, but adjust your thinking to say that in the midst of this unmitigated historical level of persecution against Israel, by comparison, look at what happened to Europe.

Europe. The the the the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Some of the greatest theologians of Christian New Testament doctrine have come from Europe, from Germany itself. Birthplace of the age of enlightenment, the renaissance, the modern age. It was just less than seventy years ago in Europe that as Jews were forced to register.

This is the these these changes happened so suddenly and so sweepingly. It is hard for us, and it was difficult for Jews at that time to even conceive of the speed at which things transpired. I've I've now got a register. What why? I've been a citizen of this country and nation for decades.

I can trace my family back for generations, and now you're isolating me, segregating me, and I've got a register, and then another bit wait a minute. Now I must publicly identify. Now I'm barred from going into shop, and I can't I can't buy or sell my goods. I can't continue to run my business. And then within a matter of weeks or months, I can't access my money.

My shop is closed. This is not right. This is the modern era. This how how can this happen? Property confiscated, and now I lose my house.

And I'm forced to cram several 100,000 people within 16 square city blocks in Warsaw, Poland. And all that unfolds that we can read about in the history books is a drop in the bucket to those first three words during these persecutions. What we will see in the days ahead. But what about the church in Europe during World War two? You've you've heard it said before.

But as Jews by the thousand were shot and marched at bayonet point with the never ending rain of blows and bullets and dogs barking and biting and tearing at their children as they were marched to the cattle cars to be sent off to extermination camps. They marched right past all of the churches in Europe. And those good Christians, what did they do? They just sang. Besides the country of Bulgaria that you can read about, little help came from Christians in Europe.

Zero. Effectively zero. We can name on on one hand. Cory Timbun, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and and and, like, hardly anyone. This says in Daniel or during these persecutions, a measure of hope will arrive.

During the church in the generation of the Lord's return, that church will be people who know their God. That church will have wise leaders who give instruction to many, and that church, those Christians will be the ones who provide a measure of help. So here's my question. How can the end time church be those things if we have not cultivated a heart for Israel and predetermined to stand with her wherever God stands? Who will be those people who provide a measure of hope and comfort and relief and clarity and leadership in these coming darker days?

Who who will who will that be? It certainly won't be anyone who has not made room in their heart for god to to to give them his heart for Israel. And as Steve said last week, we're not talking about, like, sentimental affections. Like like like, I stand with Israel sticker slapped on your car. Petty and trite.

But somebody that would be willing to actually intercede and pray and go and give their life to stand with Israel. Who who will that be? The Bible says that there will be those who provide a measure of help. Who will that be in the days ahead? The I don't know who that will be, but I certainly know this, that it won't be anyone who the lord has not sovereignly touched to impart his heart for Israel.

The picture that I get maybe I'll I'm I'm really messing up my my object lesson that I'll do, but I'll just tell it to you, and then maybe I'll do it someday. But imagine, like like, a coat rack that was just a board with with only one or two hooks to hang your jacket. You come inside, you take your jacket off, you see the coat rack, you're going to hang your hook on one or two of the hooks that have already been provided for you.

Hang

your coat. Hang your coat. What did I say?

Hang your hook on a hook.

Oh, yeah.

Hang your

hook on a hook. It was a test. Nobody would come take their jacket off, place their coat where there is no hook, set it there, and walk away. The jacket just falls down. Right?

Nobody does it. It's silly. You hang your coat on the hook that has been provided. I'm telling you right now, the world, the bible calls it the spirit of this present age, is currently creating a hook for you to hang the jacket of your understanding and narrative of Israel on that is antithetical and an antichrist spirit to that what god would say. Part of what we're does that make sense?

Mhmm. Part of what we're doing right now is to create an additional hook, a biblical narrative as a hook on the wall so that as events in the days events in the days ahead and right now are unfolding, you have a biblical narrative to take your jacket off your thoughts, your beliefs. Who will be that measure of hope? Take your jacket off. I'm gonna hang my hook here, not thank you.

I'm going to hang my coat here on the hook that the bible provides and not that the world is trying to shove down my throat. Does that make sense? This message is for Schuler. But that hook's already been on your coat hanger for a while. Praise God.

An article I read in the in the news this morning, it's the last thing I'm gonna say, says that in a in a in a recent report by the ADL anti defamation leak, antisemitic incident 2023 than they did from 2022, and we're in just in September, with over 665 incidences already recorded. Do not think that you have time someday down the road to make a decision whether or not you will be one of those who will stand with Israel and provide a measure of hope for Israel in the days ahead. Do not think that that is a decision for you to make down the road. Well, when I see this or when I see that or or or after I get my life sorted out or I'm going through this or that right now. What if you were to make a priority what is a priority to the Lord?

Do you not think Jesus said, like, he knows that you're a little flower, you're a little bird. He describes you as these ephemeral things. You're like grass. He knows what you need. He he already knows those things, but he is asking you, why don't you make a priority in your life what is a priority in my life, and I'm gonna take care of all of these other things.

Who will be one of those people that predetermines I will be a person, whatever that may look like in the days ahead, a measure of hope for Israel. Lord, create that hook in my heart that of of correct accurate biblical theology so that I can put my yes on the table that that I don't know about anybody else. But for as for me and my house, we are going to hang our coat on the hook of standing with Israel so that maybe by the grace and mercy of God, we might be one of those people that somehow, someway provides a measure of hope when they go through this dense fires. We won't be in the church pews singing louder and louder. We'll lay down our lives for the gospel, which includes providing a measure of hope for Israel.

That's part of why we're doing this twenty one days. Let me just mention one more thing just really quickly. If you're stirred to the point of action, okay, do We're to We're do do be be to spearheaded by that. Marco We're and his zeal and passion called Project Genesis where he is desiring to bring specifically Christians, not just like philanthropist do gooders, but specifically Christians into the nation of Israel to partner them with various communities around Israel to do citizen disaster relief training in the event of a natural disaster. Earthquakes are the most likely, but when you read this, there's a lot that will unfold in the nation of Israel in the days ahead.

To partner kind of like first responder search and rescue disaster relief training to build relationships with locals that after the training come back and be a part of a readiness team stateside that in the event of a natural disaster, Americans can mobilize to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv where their name will be on a preapproved list for a given community that will grant them special unique access to get directly into affected communities, roll up their sleeves, and help shovel, rake, feed, clear rubble roads, whatever needs to happen, provide first aid and and relief work with Israeli citizens. So there is a pilot program that I put our yes on the table for. There's only one other church in The United States. The church in California. I can't remember the church's name or the guy, but they have said yes.

And I said yes for us as tribe. And so in November, I'm going over there to to be a part of this pilot program. I I think it's like ten days. I'll be gone. I'm gonna go through this training.

Lisa may accompany me. I'd love for her too. We gotta work it out. But if this sounds interesting to you, I know that that it sounds interesting to all of you. But if you're like, woah.

There's a very like, there's I have a very strong maybe that I wanna put on this table. Soon as we're done here, come come see me afterwards. We'll we'll talk more about it. The cost is $2,700. I'm like, 10,000 shekels.

That's excluding airfare, but it takes care of all of your IDF escorted tour of some very sensitive areas like way IDF. Israeli Defense Force military escort in into way Northern Golan, into places in the West Bank, into Hebron, which is the tomb of the patriarchs and several other places. And I just got a a message from Susan Hahn, who's a part of FEI, who's a of part our tribe family that's working on this. And the Israeli citizens have said and and Marco has set up, like, Christians, when you come and be a part of this, we would like for you to lead Christian worship and for you to pray over IDF soldiers that are gonna be a part of this tour and this training. We're being given permission.

Like, that's pretty remarkable, a unique partnership. If that doesn't us to be a little help for Israel in the days ahead, that's amazing. So if this is interesting to you, if you have more questions, come see me afterwards. Okay?

I just had a thought. Maybe there's someone that's hearing this or watching the livestream, and maybe you don't feel necessarily a draw to go, but maybe to send someone financially. Maybe there's someone in here that wants to go, but, like, jeez, how would I be able to afford that?

I have the funds, but I don't have the time. I would like to sponsor someone. Super cool. Let's invite the holy spirit to help us make the 18 inch drop from our thinker down to our knower regarding the conversation that we've had. Oops.

Sorry. It was hardly a conversation today. Jesus, speak to our hearts. We are denying our We are fasting to make room in our hearts for you to touch our hearts for the nation of Israel. What touches your heart?

You said, Israel is my son. You've said, Israel is the apple, the the center, the pupil of my eye. Of all of the possessions of the world, Israel is my unique and one treasured possession above all others. You said, I've given I've given Egypt and Saba as a ransom for you. People who have been touched with your heart for Israel have said, I'll I'm gonna mess this up.

I'm not going to close my eyes and I'm not gonna lay my head on a pillow until that place of intimacy is established with you where you can dwell in my heart, you can dwell among your people. You have said that you have appointed watchmen on the wall who will cry out day and night for the peace of Jerusalem. There's something about the people, the land, and the city of that great king that is so important to your heart, God. We're asking that you would speak to us. We just want what you want, Lord.

Touch our hearts.

I love that line. God, I look to you. I won't be overwhelmed. Sometimes I get super overwhelmed. And, you know, it's like when we see commercials on TV.

Know, if you ever watch TV, we don't have TV, but recently we watched something and there were commercials. I was like, oh my gosh. Every commercial is about a different need in the world. Like, like, you get so overwhelmed, you do nothing. And I think the peace of the Lord is like, I'll call you to what I've called you to.

I'll call someone else what I've called someone else to. All we have to do is listen for that voice of the Holy Spirit. So let's just sing that one more time. God, I look to you, and I won't be overwhelmed. And we won't be overwhelmed in the sense that we get so just there's so much we just do nothing, but we'll actually seek him.

What's his vision? What does he have for us? And just do that. So, Lord, we just surrender that to you.

So we just stay in this attitude of worship just a few more minutes together. When we think about bringing our tithe and our offering to the Lord, you might think of all kinds of stuff, and it is totally an act of worship to him. But man, coming off of what we learned today, bringing your tithe and above and beyond that, your offering to him is such an opportunity to practice obedience. It might feel like a small thing. It might feel like a big thing.

It doesn't matter either way, but it's a it's an act of obedience. Obedience. So, man, what a good way to help do kingdom work in the natural, but also practicing surrender and obedience of what the Lord's asking you to do. If there's gonna be hard stuff down the road, let's practice now with any opportunity practice obedience. So bringing our tithe and our offering is more than just, oh, something you do at church.

Or like, oh, I'll get, you know, kinda think of it like a charity mindset. Like, I'll give some money to help the poor. Like, I mean, it's part of it, but let's just dig. That's surface y. Let's go deeper.

It's an act of surrender and obedience that we get to practice. Tuning into the Holy Spirit, hearing his voice. Lord, what would you have me give? What do you want me to give above and beyond different times? Whatever it is, it's between you and the lord.

So we'll just pray as we bring our offering today. If you have a cash or check, we don't pass buckets, but right at the, entrance there, the the swinging saloon doors, you can just drop cash or check-in a little box. You can give online, tribejh.com. Or the easiest way, and we have instructions, is just to get out your smartphone and text a new number to 84321. And then you can just give that way.

Type in the amount. It's very easy, very easy to do. So let's whether you're giving now or another time, let's just close our eyes and be in agreement as a tribe family. Heavenly father, we love you so much. We love you so much.

You're so worthy of our praise, and you're so faithful. Thank you for giving us all kinds of opportunities to surrender and to worship you. Thank you that you don't force it. You're gentlemen. You you let us, and it means so much means so much more because it's a relationship that we choose.

So, we love you. We thank you for this opportunity today as we bring our tithe and our offering to you to practice obedience into what you're asking us, holy spirit, to do. We just give you thanks for it, and thank you in the natural that money that comes to local churches goes to do your kingdom work, to bring people into your this family. We love you and thank you for the fruit that's to come from our surrender, from our obedience, and bringing our tithe. In Jesus name, amen.

Just a few quick announcements on Tuesday night at the TN Miss Sunday or you love it so much because it always varies a little, but we also have another service at the TMC. Tuesdays come at 06:00 for a meal. If you're if you wanna cook the meal, let me know. That's always a blessing too. Somebody's gotta do it.

Or just buy or just buy it and bring it. You don't have to cook. You can just bring something. So that's Tuesdays at 6PM. Come to the TMC.

And then on Wednesdays, also at the TMC, we have a men's bible do going

We're

to to to

September 30, Lanisha, will you

just do raise your hand?

Sam, is we were just fist pumping for the bible study? You're leading that. Yeah? Then

also Sam, raise your hand. If you need to if you don't wanna know what that's Sam's leading that so you can come see him right after service. 7AM on Thursdays.

Yes. And I was gonna say Thursday nights too, tribe hosts all the youth, all the churches, pool all their high school together on Thursday nights, and so that's called Ascent, and that's at the TMC as well. And, Lanisha, will you say something? Hand her the microphone just so you can, please.

If you really love to double cook or give food on Thursday nights at seven, that's also a blessing too because we like to feed our high schoolers before we dive into the word together. And if that's something you can talk to me, and I can give you the little sign up for that. Awesome. And

then the last thing is this. Speaking of Lindisha, on September 30, put it in your calendar if you'd like, from six to eight at the TMC. She's gonna have a pizza party. And what are you watching afterwards?

TBD. Hi,

guys. Once again, if you're a young adult in here and I don't have your number or just first time coming, see me afterwards, September 30. We're gonna have homemade pizza and movie night. Movie, we could decide then.

You guys should watch Schindler's List. I

don't know.

Pizza and

Schindler's It's funny.

Not that kind of vibe? Okay. I'm sorry. Brian was gonna say trash.

That was not that fun.

But bring your favorite pizza topping if you show up. I am serious. Bring your favorite pizza topping. I'll make the dough, and I'll make the sauces.

Heavy in your tongue. Mister Brian, will you come up and pray us out? If

you wanna go to Israel with us as a tour, let's do that. That's not this trip. This trip is a little bit different. So many of you have been like, oh, I wanna go to Israel as a tribe fam. Let's put that together.

That won't be this trip, but let's go let's do that together some other time soon. Okay? Come talk to me afterwards if you have interest in either going or sending somebody. Why don't you stand up? Would that be alright if I prayed for you?

And those dates, it's act when we say November, it's actually November 30.

November 30 to December 6?

Tenth.

Tenth. Yeah.

Hook. Hang your coat on. Oh, yeah. I'm here for you. It's okay.

Don't forget to hang your hook this week. Lord have mercy. Jesus, help us. Help us. Help us.

Help us. We need you. We love you. You realize that we are made from dust. We take these idle sticks of our lives.

And we ask that we would burn up for you, Jesus. God, I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe family here today. God, touch our hearts, encounter us, and change our lives. We pray these things In Jesus name, the strong son of God. And everybody said, amen.

I love you so very much. I want you to have a great week. And just like Mike Bickel said, who took it from me, you got this.